When migrants have a name, they’re welcome

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Voters dislike the abstract idea of immigration. But when real people are involved their views change dramatically

In The West Wing Leo McGarry, the White House chief of staff, says one
of his jobs is to stop the President meeting the wrong people. “I don’t want
him putting a voice to the guy,” he explains. “I take my daughter to a
seafood place, the first thing she does is name all the lobsters in the tank
so I can’t eat them.” Politics is as much about psychology as policy. That’s
worth remembering when it comes to government immigration policy. There is
often a mismatch between general hostility and specific compassion.